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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
This is an outstanding historical fiction book inspired by the experience of the author's family members that were in the Japanese-American Interment Camps during WWII. The author says some parts are fictional as there was no effort to document this period. However, many aspects are factual based on the authors research and interviews. This book has a lot more information and portrays how the incarceration of innocent people affects the later generations. It lead to people fearing their own government and in order to "protect" their kids the adults chose not to teach them Japanese or about their ethnic culture. A similar thing occurred in the Native American communities after the kids were sent to the government run boarding school. One only had to be "1/16 Japanese" in order to be incarcerated and there was a lot of fear and distrust as to whether they would be treated fairly. Censorship was rife within the camps and they weren't allowed to speak their own minds without fear of repercussion. When offered papers of loyalty some of the questions were written in such a way as to cause anxiety and sometimes was used to excuse removing their citizenship. If you wish to know more about how this period unjustly impacted people for decades I also highly recommend the documentary "The Cats of Mirikitani", which was filmed in 2001.
Kiku's Grandmother had been incarcerated at the Japanese-American internment camps in WWII. However, her grandmother never told her kids about it. Also, as a result of this time her grandmother felt it was safer to not teach her kids Japanese or of Japanese culture. As a result Kiku is disconnect with her own ethnic culture. However, when she was taking a trip with her mother who was tracing her own past she experiences a "displacement" where she is physically transferred to the time when her Grandmother was being rounded up with the rest of the Japanese-Americans to be taken to the camps. Unlike the time travel stories she's read she realizes that she doesn't really know anything about that time. No records were kept and the people who were there often didn't speak of it to their children. What little she learned in school barely scratched the surface. She's now stuck back in a camp where they must survive amidst the fear of possible retribution for exhibiting anything that could be perceived as Japanese. There is no free speech at these camps and many of the rights people take for granted were denied them. Kiku also learns that there were peaceful protests and resistance in the camps, which was also not taught to her in school. Her experience changes her forever and when she returns to her time it makes her see modern occurrences in a different light. She's acknowledged how even today the Japanese-American community is affected by this time and she never wants this to happen to anyone else again.
Kiku's Grandmother had been incarcerated at the Japanese-American internment camps in WWII. However, her grandmother never told her kids about it. Also, as a result of this time her grandmother felt it was safer to not teach her kids Japanese or of Japanese culture. As a result Kiku is disconnect with her own ethnic culture. However, when she was taking a trip with her mother who was tracing her own past she experiences a "displacement" where she is physically transferred to the time when her Grandmother was being rounded up with the rest of the Japanese-Americans to be taken to the camps. Unlike the time travel stories she's read she realizes that she doesn't really know anything about that time. No records were kept and the people who were there often didn't speak of it to their children. What little she learned in school barely scratched the surface. She's now stuck back in a camp where they must survive amidst the fear of possible retribution for exhibiting anything that could be perceived as Japanese. There is no free speech at these camps and many of the rights people take for granted were denied them. Kiku also learns that there were peaceful protests and resistance in the camps, which was also not taught to her in school. Her experience changes her forever and when she returns to her time it makes her see modern occurrences in a different light. She's acknowledged how even today the Japanese-American community is affected by this time and she never wants this to happen to anyone else again.
emotional
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reminiscent of Octavia E. Butler’s work in a fascinating way! The scientific fact that we hold our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents memories within our bodies is played on in a neat fictional way here. The plot, characters, and pacing were all well done. I’ll definitely read this again and I’m encouraged to do research into the camps which I’d only known a cursory amount about. Highly recommend the book!
Powerful graphic novel that touches on intergenerational trauma. Grade 6+.
The problem with mixing fact and fiction - not explaining which is which. Given to me as a YA read, this is more middle grade for sure, even upper elementary for advanced kids. The imagery conveyed simple, raw emotions and supported the text, it was well done for sure. That is not my issue. My concern is the broad strokes being painted about American politics in children's book and images and words being correlated without context. Good thing we don't censor the freedom to read or write what you want ;-)
Review to come, but I loved this one so so much.
This was such an informational and amazing book.
I think that this was a great and thoughtful way to teach readers about the Japanese Internment camps during World War II that took place in America. I've read a few other books about these camps but with the art it was very easy to visualize and it was explained very well in the book. I also really enjoyed the end, where Kiku and her mother made signs and participated in marches and rallies at the end of the book, speaking out so that what she saw and experienced at the camps would never happen again. It was also a great book since it delved into Kiku's own family history and she learned a lot about her own family on the way.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a fairly quick read in which you can learn a lot.
I think that this was a great and thoughtful way to teach readers about the Japanese Internment camps during World War II that took place in America. I've read a few other books about these camps but with the art it was very easy to visualize and it was explained very well in the book. I also really enjoyed the end, where Kiku and her mother made signs and participated in marches and rallies at the end of the book, speaking out so that what she saw and experienced at the camps would never happen again. It was also a great book since it delved into Kiku's own family history and she learned a lot about her own family on the way.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a fairly quick read in which you can learn a lot.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"Being from the future meant very little when little when my education on the past was so limited" (Hughes 154). Really powerful book that shows not just the experiences of Japanese Americans in the incarceration camps (especially Topaz) but also the legacy that such experiences create.